1. Blacklisted: Racial Bias in Schools Today and What YOU Can Do About It Presented by Dr. Diane Kern, School of Education, and a virtual appearance by the Providence Student Union

2. U.S. Office of Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) Reported January 2014 Although African-American students represent 15% of students in the CRDC, they make up 35% of the students suspended once, 44% of students suspended more than once, and 36% of students expelled. 50% of students involved in school-related arrests or referred to law enforcement are Hispanic or African-American.

3. School-to-Prison Pipeline Increasing number of students losing important instructional time due to exclusionary disciplinary practices, leading to… – School avoidance – Disillusioned, feeling lack of hope – Diminished education attainment – Decreased academic achievement – Increased drop-out rates – Substance abuse – Long-term economic and social problems

4. Blacklisted in Rhode Island ~March 2014 ACLU Report African-American students suspended at an all-time high; White students at an all-time low Hispanic students remain severely over- suspended at some of the highest rates observed in 8 years New law lowered suspensions for absences, yet number of suspensions for low-risk behaviors increased by more than 400 youth.

5. Must be high school only? NOT! Nearly 1,400 RI elementary students were suspended 2012-2013; 147 in 1 st grade

6. Turn, talk, vent, consider why or share experiences

7. Nine years of data have clearly indicated that Rhode Island’s schools use out of school suspensions too often to punish even the most minor infractions, with particular impact on students of color. Despite ongoing discussions about how best to lessen these rates, school districts have been unable to accomplish meaningful change on their own.

8. ACLU has these suggestions… Law changes needed Make data public annually—parents & citizens need to know Schools need to make policies and procedures available and fairly/equitably implemented U.S. Department of Education leadership …I suggest there’s more we can and must do at the grassroots level, here and now in our community for our youth!

9. Our local youth can’t wait for policymakers to do the right thing…What YOU can do! Providence Student Union

10. PSC/EDC 306 Mentoring and Tutoring Internship (MTI @URI) Fall and Spring semesters

11. Video Campaigns, Speaking Out and OpEds Poems for Public Education by Ryan MacGowan, URI film major, Fall 2013 honors colloquium course…soon to be a new general education course EDC 100 Zombie Ideas in Education! Poems for Public Education

12. Work directly with young children in early childhood education programs around Rhode Island! 300 hours of service with partner children at a local RI Headstart or preschool center. Receive six credits in a URI CSV 302 online course, a $1,195 AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion or work study

13. Student organizations Alima International Dance Association Brothers on a New Direction (BOND) National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Native American Student Association Powerful Independent Notoriously Knowledgeable (PINK) Women Uhuru Sasa…and so many more

14. City YearCity Year, College Crusade and AmeriCorpsCollege Crusade AmeriCorps

15. Community Action and Activism

16. References School to Prison Pipeline Infographic http://safequalityschools.org/pages/mission-school-to-prison- pipeline U.S. DOE “Dear Colleague” letter on discriminatory discipline practices http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague- 201401-title-vi.html Blacklisted: An Update…RI Schools & Racial Bias http://riaclu.org/images/uploads/Blacklisted- _Racial_Bias_in_School_Suspensions_in_Rhode_Island.pdf

17. Q & A Contacts & Opportunities Dr. Diane Kern dkern@uri.edu, 708 Chafeedkern@uri.edu – Mentor Tutoring Internship Course—PSC/EDC 306 – Education major or minor Providence Student Union https://www.providencestudentunion.org https://www.providencestudentunion.org JumpStart URI, 874-2090, Chafee Hall 178 City Year RI http://www.cityyear.org/rhodeislandhttp://www.cityyear.org/rhodeisland AmeriCorps http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americor ps http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americor ps